Australia coach, Robbie Deans says the Bledisloe Cup meeting with New Zealand on Saturday will be memorable as ever.
The two sides are level on five points in the Tri-Nations table, meaning this weekend’s meeting will carry huge significance.
The Wallabies go into the game with a distinctly less experienced side than the All Blacks, who have five players over 30.
History suggests that having an experienced line-up in the World Cup can be an advantage, as the English proved in 2003, with a team including Johnson, Back and Dallaglio.
But Deans does not feel that will affect the game, saying his side, fresh in their boots for new season, have the quality to beat New Zealand.
“They’re a lot more experienced than us but as a team we’ve been preparing well and we believe in where we’re going as a team,” Deans said.
“It’s not something our guys will be thinking about. If you’re good enough, age shouldn’t matter too much.”
Deans is taking each game as it comes at the moment. The Tri-Nations his main priority, and he believes the World Cup is too far ahead to worry about.
He said: “That’s miles away. We’re not even thinking about that stuff now.
“Saturday is a great occasion. It will be an epic Bledisloe encounter. There’s been some great ones over the years and I’m backing this will be a great game.”
New Zealand Head Coach, Graham Henry is looking forward to the game and believes it will be an exciting encounter.
“There is no doubt that the intensity levels will rise for this Test,” he admitted.
“It is game one in a two-match Bledisloe Cup series involving the teams ranked number one and two in the world.
“It’s a hugely important Test and is going to be a massive challenge, but we are looking forward to that.”
The match which is being played in Auckland kicks off at 7.30pm (NZST) on Saturday.